


LOST CHILD

by GreyLiliy



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Drama, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-10
Updated: 2013-09-10
Packaged: 2020-12-21 10:21:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21073307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreyLiliy/pseuds/GreyLiliy
Summary: North died screaming.





	LOST CHILD

**Author's Note:**

> [First Posted to Tumblr on September 10, 2013 with the title “RvB - LOST CHILD.” It was crossposted to Archive of Our Own on October 17, 2019. Original notes have been kept.]
> 
> You can blame the-meta [on Tumblr] for this. Let’s see if I can go two for two. Though I do ask you forgive continuity errors. It’s been a while since I watched this part of the series.

“You sure you know where we’re going?” North asked, sliding down the side of the hill with a trail of dust behind him. The air was fresh and cool around them, and he hummed to himself. The area was nice, but he was hoping to get to a campsite before nightfall.

South whipped her head back, and North could feel the glare through her helmet. He huffed and scolded himself. He knew he should have worded that better. South punched North in the chest, hard enough to sting, but not enough to hurt. Typical South. “You don’t trust my directional sense?”

“No, no,” North held his hands up in surrender. He chuckled calmly, and did his best to sooth her temper. “Nothing like that, Sis. I’m just checking, since we’re running a little behind.”

“It sounded like you don’t trust where we’re going,” South said. Her shoulders dropped, and she turned her head down.

“I’m very positive you’ll get us there,” North said. He tapped his shoulder twice, and decided a little back up might be necessary. “Isn’t that right, Theta?”

“I think we’re lost,” Theta said, appearing in a purple and pink hologram. North almost wanted to cry. That wasn’t the back up he wanted. Theta crossed his arms, and pushed his skateboard back and forth in the air. “That’s what I think.”

South growled at the A.I., and her hand formed a fist.

“Now Theta,” North said, cutting off any angry words South could come up with. He shook his finger at the tiny A.I. hovering over his shoulder. The last thing he needed was the two most important people in his life fighting with one another. And Theta knew it. North ‘tapped’ Theta on his helmet. “That isn’t nice. Sister South will get us there just fine.”

“Shut up!” South said, jumping over a rock. Damage already done, South turned to sulking. “You’re both giving me a headache.”

“Sorry,” Theta and North said together.

“Jinx!” Theta shouted, lifting his hands up. He pointed at North and, proud he remembered the rules to this game, declared: “That means you can’t talk!”

North chuckled, but played along. A little bit of quiet would do them all some good.

South and North drew their weapons at the same time, holding at the ready. Training did them well, and their guard held. The Dakota Siblings pressed back to back, and surveyed their surroundings. They couldn’t see him, but they had heard the branch break: Their stalker was back.

“South,” North said, “Are you ready?”

“Always, big brother,” South said.

“Theta?”

“Shields up,” the A.I. said, activating the force-field around the two twins. He held both his hands out, and North felt his connection with the little program strengthen. They were becoming one. Theta said in both his head, and aloud, “Ready when you are.”

“Good job, Theta,” North said, as he scanned the horizon. The stalker had hidden, and he could come from any direction. North couldn’t hold this shield up forever, even with Theta’s help. Was their attacker patient enough to wait for it to drop? Was he that smart? North adjusted his grip on his weapon. “South, we might have to make a run for it.”

“Or not,” South hissed. She bumped her back into his, and he could feel her vibrating in tension. Her irritation and anger were meeting head to head. “I’m sick of all this running, North!”

“I know, but it’d be better if we avoided confrontations,” North said, finger on the trigger of the rifle. Eyes on the field. He had to keep them safe. South and Theta. His precious ones. North spoke, “We don’t know what this guy can do.”

“Hide! That’s what!” South cried, raising her voice. She slammed her hand into the side of he rifle, sending a loud clang into the area. “You hear that asshole! Stop hiding and get your ass out here to face us!”

“South!” North hissed. “What are you doing?”

“Getting his attention,” South said. She shouted back, either unwilling or unable to lower her voice. “What are you worried about? You’ve got your precious little A.I. to help, don’t you?”

“This is not the time for that, South,” North said, immediately hushing Theta’s angry response in his head before it could be said. Theta could be just as bad as South, no matter how cute he was. North saw movement from his six, and turned that way. “Concentrate on the enemy.”

“I am, so just let me do my…” South trailed off mid yell, as her eyes caught it, too.

The tall white soldier with the yellow face-plate visor, holding a brute-shot and growling. If North hadn’t already set his suspicions to prioritize his sister and Theta, he might not have believed it. North may have even approached cautiously to see if there was some misunderstanding. But as it stood: Anyone could be the enemy. Everyone was a threat to his loved ones. North clenched his teeth, and took a step back, nudging South. She threw her rifle back up, and he nodded.

“Agent Maine?” Theta asked, his voice in a weird sort of hurt and awe. The force-field shattered around them, Theta’s shock dropping all of his control. North and South both cursed in unison. Poor Theta looked back and forth between North and Maine frantically, his innocence shining through at the worst time. “He’s the target? Isn’t he your friend? I thought he was your friend?”

“Theta, concentrate,” North said, back tensing. His force-field was down. Theta was in no condition to deal with it right now. North could feel his confusion like a knife stabbing in his head. They should run. He and South were technically better fighters, but Maine was at least three times as strong. He only needed one lucky hit to incapacitate either of them. Then North would be worrying about a downed soldier, as well as trying to keep up with another Freelancer. Not good. Not good! “South, we’re going to run.”

He got no response.

“South?” North turned his head, and saw–Nothing. He caught sight of her purple armor just over the hill. What was she doing? They needed to stay together! “South!”

“She left,” Theta said, a little gasp in his voice. “North! Look out!”

Agent Maine got his lucky hit.

North’s stomach twisted in, Maine’s fist lodged in the split between the armor plates with the force of an elephant. North choked, his kidneys meeting his ribs. He felt something burst, something crack. When had Maine moved? He was so far away a second ago, and then, here! It was like he teleported. North flipped his rifle and threw the butt toward Maine’s helmet. He had to get him away. Had to catch up with South and make sure she was okay. Had to save them!

“Maine!” North shouted, following through with the hit to the white soldier’s head. He swung hard, and added an elbow jab to the initial hit in a smooth transition. Maine stumbled away, and North sprinted. Every move sent a lace of pain through his body, but he had to keep moving. “Theta! Shield! Shield!”

“I’m t-trying!” Theta shouted, his voice shaking. He was scared. North had to be brave for the both of them. “I-I’m trying!”

“I know you are!” North shouted. Maine appeared at his side, growling and angry. He swung his brute-shot, and North returned the blow with a kick to Maine’s stomach. He was sure he broke another rib, but North rolled to duck under the mad Freelancer. North had to get away and catch up with South. Had to get away now! “Shield!”

Agent Maine got a second lucky shot.

The shot to the back sent North to his knees. He could hear Theta screaming in the back of his head for him to get up, but it was lost in the ringing and white noise. He’d been hit in the back. Straight through the armor. When had Maine?

He couldn’t hear anyone but Theta in the back of his head. But it was all jumbled words with no connection. A pleading and crying voice. Get up. Move. Stop. North couldn’t move. He couldn’t hear. It was as if a blanket had been wrapped around his head. Suffocating him. But, North felt the knee on his back. It dug into his armor and the full weight of Maine pinned him to the ground. Warm blood gushed from his armor, the pressure too much. A hand was on his helmet.

North knew.

“N-No,” North said, his mouth full of blood. He couldn’t hear. His mind was muddled. But he knew, he knew. Maine wouldn’t do this. North spit the blood out of his mouth, and it splashed back on his face from the visor. It got into his eyes. But he didn’t care. Maine wouldn’t do this! Where was South? Theta! He felt armor ripped away. “Theta! D-don’t take Theta!”

“No, no, no,” North chanted, his hands gripping the dirt. He dug. He pulled the soil loose from the rocks. His hands scraped uselessly in a wild movement to get away. Maine was too heavy. He was too weak. He needed to help Theta! “Please!”

It took half a second for Maine to rip out the A.I. Implantation chip, but time is relative.

North screamed. Agony he’d never known shot through every inch of his brain and spine. An electric pulse, that wrapped around every nerve ending and refused to let go. It clung and pulled everything loose with it. They were all being ripped out. Every muscle, and brain pulse. North sobbed through his cries. Theta. Maine was taking Theta.

He’d never see his boy again. His little skateboard. Or his shy little wave. Theta. Theta. Theta. It was North’s mantra. Through the blood, the pain, and the scratch in his throat. Any last word of comfort he could give across that bond.

Theta.

Theta.

Theta.

South.

Everything was screaming.

Until it stopped.


End file.
